Real Housewives of Orange County stars Shannon Beador and John Janssen may be done romantically. But they’re not done fighting over the scraps of their nearly four-year relationship.
As reported earlier this year, John sued Shannon for loans he gave her totaling $75,000, which still haven’t been repaid.
According to court documents, John refused Shannon’s request to dismiss the claim of promissory fraud from his lawsuit. He’s also asking for punitive damages and attorney fees.
Shannon claims the money was a “gift”
Per documents obtained by In Touch, John is accusing Shannon of breach of contract and promissory fraud. He said he loaned her $40,000 in 2022 for a facelift.
In early 2023, he provided Shannon with another $35,000 for more surgery. At the time, John claims that Shannon promised to repay both loans with interest. In his court documents, John claims that she has failed to repay him, despite numerous demands.
Shannon said she was “shocked” by John’s lawsuit, claiming the money was a “gift” and not a loan. She said she tried to work out the issues with John before he filed suit.
“My attorney has been in constant communication with his counsel,” the mom of three said. “I agreed to pay John what he wanted because I knew that attorney’s fees would surpass the amount sought. But more importantly to eliminate the negative emotional components that come with a lawsuit.”
“John declined the offer because he refused to sign a mutual non-disparagement agreement [NDA],” she continued. “I was hoping … we could at least use this as an opportunity to bring complete closure to this chapter in my life.”
John says it was a loan
John wasted no time firing back at Shannon’s claims that the cash was a “gift.”
His lawyer said, “[Shannon] knew when she made her false promises and representations that [she] did not intend to pay for such services. Despite promising to repay both Loans, [Shannon’s] subsequent actions have made clear that [Shannon’s] promises were fabricated, and she never intended to follow through on her promises.”
Shannon’s legal team then filed a request for the court to dismiss the claims of fraud and remove the request for punitive damages. They argued that he had not shown enough evidence to prove a claim of fraud and was not entitled to the fees.
But his lawyer responded, “Mr. Janssen’s request for punitive damages is warranted by the facts and claims alleged in the [complaint], which sufficiently allege malice and fraud by alleging that [Shannon] acted with the intent to induce Mr. Janssen to rely on her misrepresentations to defraud Mr. Janssen into loaning money to [her] that she never intended to repay. [Shannon’s] fraudulent intent is further evidenced by her continued assurances to Mr. Janssen that she would repay the loans, and her recent attempt to characterize the loans — for the very first time — as ‘gifts’ that she is not required to repay.”
A judge has yet to rule in the case.
